In Australia, we have a system of wage justice which, while it is not perfect, is far away from the experience of many workers in the USA. While the phrase "wage theft" is rarely heard in Australia,
many of the actions cited in this video as wage theft do occur in Australia.
They are usually dealt with by the Fair Work Commission or the relevant trade union.
To find out more about Interfaith Worker Justice, please go here.

Its
Saturday night in Paris and a live band jams on stage, encouraging the audience
to sing and dance along with their music. A quite ordinary scene, apart from
tonight the lead singer is a Christian and his backing singers, two young men
with their arms draped over each other's shoulders, one of them is Muslim, and
the other is Jewish. As for me, I am a British Quaker dancing in the middle of
an Orthodox Christian from Romania and a Pagan from the Basque country. And I'm
grateful for the diverse globalized world which gives me nights like this one.
But that Saturday night in Paris took place at the start of last November.

Since
then, we have witnessed a very dark winter here in Europe. A steady rise in
far-right nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiments has led to violent attacks
on mosques in Sweden and anti-Islam marches across German cities, meanwhile
reports suggest that Antisemitism in Europe is higher than it's been in years.
And now, in Paris, a horrific act of terrorism. In response to the Paris attacks,
reports of grenades thrown at the city's mosques demonstrate the level of anger
some feel towards these events. And it is perfectly natural to feel angry when
faced with a situation one cannot understand. Yet when in the history of human
civilization has a violent response to violence, of hatred towards hatred, ever
created a wholly positive result?

I'm
certainly not the first, nor will I be the last, to point out that the angry,
hate-filled actions of terrorists and those of the far-right perpetuate the
same response: division and deep mistrust. In a bitter-sweet and ironic turn
the opposing actions of these two extremes continually add fuel to each other's
arguments. The good news is that these extremes remain very much in the
minority. There are over 4.7 million Muslims in France but four men were
involved in Wednesday's attacks. And whilst a handful of French people have
retaliated with violence towards Muslims, hundreds and thousands took to the
streets of Paris and other European cities in a show of defiance; in a display
of unity, togetherness, solidarity. Those who believe in finding a way to live
together, side-by-side with our diversity, remain the majority. But we need to
be a vocal majority; an active majority. Although we must also ensure that we
are an inclusive, respectful majority, ready to explore our differences with
mutual open-mindedness.

My personal response to the rise of
extremism -- of all types -- across Europe is to continue to try and build
bridges of understanding between different religious and non-religious
communities; to find a way for each person to recognize our shared humanity, as
first and beyond the other labels we take on and are given. The evening of
music I describe above was the finale to the last interfaith conference I was
involved in, and it took place in central Paris. There I met and worked with an
incredible group of young French activists from the organizationCoexisterwhich
works to create dialogue and foster solidarity between young people from
different faith backgrounds. They are truly an inspiring group, working in a
hostile environment and achieving incredible results.

You are welcome at Ballarat Interfaith Network.
You may belong to a faith tradition.
You may have an informal spirituality.
You may not be a person of faith or spirituality.
Everyone is welcome to join in the conversations & friendship
across religious boundaries in #Ballarat.
Please contact us atballaratinterfaithnetwork@gmail.com

Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Cologne cathedral to switch
off lights in protest at anti-Muslim march

March by Patriotic Europeans Against the
Islamisation of the West is latest in a series of anti-Muslim protests in
Germany

Cologne
Cathedral at night. Photograph: Corbis

Reuters in Cologne

Friday 2 January
201523.24 AEST

Cologne Cathedral, one of Germany’s
most famous landmarks, will be plunged into darkness on Monday evening in
protest at a march by a grassroots anti-Muslim movement through the western
German city.

The rise of Patriotic Europeans
Against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) has shaken the political
establishment, prompting the chancellor, Angela Merkel, to warn in her new year
address that its leaders were racists full of hatred and citizens should beware
being used.

The group’slast weekly rallyin
the eastern city of Dresden attracted an estimated 17,000 people. It plans to
hold further marches in other cities.

Victorian Faith Networks Council of Victoria

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2018 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Religions getting together in peace

Interfaith Voivces

From the Dacorum Interfaith Network

An Interfaith Tree of Life

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Joining Ballarat Interfaith Network? Please consider...

B.I.N. welcomes new members from a variety of faiths, belief systems, and spiritualities. Membership for individuals is $10 and for organisations is $50. B.I.N. meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month at the Eastwood Leisure Complex, 20 Eastwood Street, Ballarat at 7pm. B.I.N. members would love to meet you.

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What is interfaith dialogue?

Ballarat Interfaith Network has the motto "Conversations not Conversions". Interfaith organisations come from a desire to understand and show respect for those of faiths other than the individual's own faith. These organisations allow friendships and dialogue to develop.
Please go to the following link for more detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith_dialogue

Title and Background photograph

The title of the blog comes from a Judith Wright poem. To read the poem please go to the post at http://interfaithinballarat.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/wisdom-and-knowledge-gained-beside-creek.html

The background of this blog was taken from a photograph by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh, the author of this blog. The photograph shows oak trees beside the Yarrowee River. It was taken from Esmond Street on Ballarat's historic Black Hill Reserve. Esmond Street forms part of the Yarrowee Trail as well as the Goldfields Track and is a favourite place for walkers, joggers, bikers, and dogs.